Police Investigating Local Firefighter After Concerning Video Surfaces on Facebook (UPDATED)

A blurred screengrab of the 55-year-old man.

UPDATE: Jan. 10, 12:38 a.m. - The Upper Gwynedd Township Fire Department has informed North Penn Now that the man is no longer a member of their unit.

Previous update follows...

UPDATE: Jan. 9, 9:58 p.m. - The Towamencin Volunteer Fire Company has issued the following public statement:

The Towamencin Volunteer Fire Company became aware of an alleged incident involving one of our former volunteer members. Since becoming aware, the former member was suspended. They have since resigned from the fire company.

The Towamencin Volunteer Fire Company will have no further comment on the issue.

Original story follows...

Towamencin Township Police have launched a preliminary investigation into a former local firefighter, after video surfaced online Wednesday showing him allegedly attempting to meet a 15-year-old girl at the Exton Mall.

According to Chief Tim Dickinson, police became aware of the video on Wednesday night around 8 p.m. The video, which was uploaded by members of the Pennsylvania Predator Hunters (PPH) Facebook page, shows the 55-year-old married man—whose name North Penn Now is withholding due to no current criminal charges—being confronted by “Mike Hunter,” of the PPH, while seated at the Exton Mall.

Hunter confronts the man with questions, stating that the man not only engaged in conversation with who he thought was a 15-year-old girl, but added that they had evidence that he had engaged several of the group’s other decoys. No specific references to sexual contact are made in the video, though Hunter repeatedly refers to the man as a sexual predator and states that he has no shortage of evidence.

The video continues, akin to vintage “To Catch a Predator,” but with more profanity, and concludes with Hunter following the man to his vehicle, which features a North Penn School District sticker and a firefighter light bar.

The video has since gone viral, prompting dozens of messages, calls and emails to North Penn Now to investigate the story and follow up with police. North Penn Now reached out to the PPH group for comment, as well as to confirm their evidence and logs, but they responded that they had their hands full with the story at the moment.

When reached for comment, Dickinson said police were in the initial stages of the investigation, and they had not received contact or evidence from PPH regarding their investigation.

“Right now, all we can say is that we have seen the video, and we have launched an investigation,” said Dickinson. “There are currently no charges pending against the individual.”

A search of the man’s name through the Unified Judicial System of Pennsylvania shows no criminal record or incidents throughout the southeastern portion of the state.

This is a developing story from North Penn Now. We will update this article if/when we receive a response from the Towamencin Volunteer Fire Company, as well as the Pennsylvania Predator Hunters.

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